From a large yet for some reason little-known cru situated between Clos des Mouches and Champs Pimonts, and in which Choppin six years ago purchased acreage in both red and white, the 2005 Beaune Aigros offers smoky, spicy aromatics, a quite-rich brothy, meat stock palate impression, and a finish of cedar and salted dried cherries that betrays a bit of tannic roughness and overt woodiness. Overall, though, this displays admirable concentration and might smooth itself out in time. Geoffrey Choppin de Janvry reports that vine stress was becoming an issue in mid-September, so he picked his crop in just a few days. And speaking of haste, new stainless steel fermenters that replace the old wooden uprights here this year permitted Choppin to assemble and bottle all of his wines at nearly the same time, with the result that those I tasted had all either just been bottled or just prepped for imminent bottling. Around 50% new wood was employed, regardless of appellation, with the result that some wines showed overt oakiness and some did not. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083